Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

26 Religion coqiJ s much PART I. ;hri+unity turn'd out of Doors. For altho' to true. Religion, there muff indeed be fomething elle befides AffeEtion ; yet true Religion confrfts fo much in the Affections, that there can he no true Religi- on without them. He who has no religious Affe&ion, is in a State of fpiritual Death, and is wholly deltitute of the powerful, quicken- ing, laving Influences of the Spirit ofGod upon his Heart. As there is no true Religion, where there is nothing elle but AffeEtion ; fo there is no true Religion where there is no religious 11feion. As on the one Hand, there mutt be Light in the Underftanciing, as well as an afeti`ed fervent Heart, where there is Heat without Light, there can be nothing divine or heavenly in that Heart ; fo on the other Hand, where there is a Kind of Light without Heat, a Head flared with Notions and Speculations, with a cold and unaffeEted Heart, there can be nothing divine in that Light, that Knowledge is no true fpiritual Knowledge of divine Things. If the great Things of Re- ligion are rightly underftood, they will affea the Heart. The Rea- fon why Men are not affeéted by fuch infinitely great, important, glorious, and wonderful Things, as they often hear and read of, in the Word of God, is undoubtedly becaufe they are blind ; if they were not fa, it would be impoffible, and utterly inconfiftent with hu- man Nature, that their Hearts fhould he otherwife, than ftrongly im- prefs'd, and greatly moved by fuch 'Things. This Manner of fighting all religious 11ffef7ions, is the Way ex- ceedingly to harden the Hearts of Men, and to encourage 'em in their Stupidity and Senfelefhnefs, and to keep 'em in a State of fpiri- tual Death as long as they live, and bring 'em at laft to Death eternal. The prevailing Prejudice against religious Afec`tions at this Day, in the Land, is apparently of awful Effect, to harden the Hearts of Sinners, and damp the Graces of many of the Saints, and ftund the Life and Power of Religion, and preclude the Effect of Ordinances, and hold. us down in a State of Dulnefs and Apathy, and undoubtedly caufes many Perfons greatly to offend God, in entertaining mean and low Thoughts of the extraordinary Work he has lately wrought in this Land. And for Perfons to defpife and cry down all religious 1lffeRions, is the Way to Phut all Religion out of their own Hearts, and to make thorough Work in ruining their Souls. They who condemn high AffeEtions in others, are certainly not likely to have high AffeEtions themfelves. And let it be confider'd, that they who have but little religious Afff&tion, have certainly but little Religion. And they who condemn others for their religious Af- fections, and have none themfelves, have no Religion. There are falle 11ffe6lions, and there are true. A Man's having much .lffetlion, don't prove that he has any true Religion : But if he has no lfletîion, it proves that he has no true Religion. The right Way,

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